Before the Dawn
by King in Yellow
Summary: Sequel to Cognitive Dissonance. This is the one story I hate in the series. I think Kim is too OOC and don't know if I've presented her grief well enough to justify her actions. But it is necessary for later stories. Best Enemies series, story 03.
1. Chapter 1 Triage

Kaguya and Dr. Kono are real, if you missed that in biology class. And I checked out most of the medical terms, drugs, and procedures - so expect this to be dull.

At the end of Best Enemies I projected a happy ending if I did a third in the series. I didn't mean to lie. But the happy ending and little piece of dialog at the end of Best Enemies got pushed back into a fourth or fifth story if I keep writing.

This begins immediately after Cognitive Dissonance. I wasn't sure if I'd keep this or not. But it became important. Still my least favorite BE story, but necessary.

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Triage**

In the background there were two more shots, and a scream of pain as a tranq took out Gemini, but Kim heard none of it.

The medics found Kim, cradling Shego in her arms. Kim's emotional shock was almost as deep as Shego's hypovolemic shock and they literally had to slap her across the face to get her attention and make her release the pale woman.

"She's... she's going to die, isn't she?"

"We're all going to die. But I'm hoping it isn't today. Damn. She's in bad shape. Vitals don't look good. Hold the plasma bag for us."

A third medic joined the first two. Kim tried her best to stay out of the way, but refused to leave.

"What in the hell is going on with her blood type?" Kim heard one of the medics ask another.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything exactly like it - we're going to have trouble getting a good match."

Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator.

"Kim, what happened?"

Kim held the Kimmunicator so it showed Shego. "Shut up Wade, you have to find someone in Go City. Fast. Let me spell the last name..."

* * *

Organized teams of Global Justice agents began to go through the building - checking names and looking for any remaining victims of the neuro-compliance chips and any WEE agents who might have been trying to hide among the Justice agents. Kim surrendered her battery pack and disrupter to a search team.

Kim saw two more grim-faced medics headed her way, but they went past her and continued down a hallway.

About half an hour - it seemed more like days - after Shego had been shot Ron found Kim. He held her in his arms and she began to cry on his shoulder, he patted her back, trying his best to be supportive, but having nothing to say.

Will and Betty Director swept by, apparently in too much of a hurry to say anything.

Some twenty minutes later a shaken Dr. Director returned. The enormity of her brother's actions had caused her to put Will Du in charge of the mopping up.

"Well, we've found Drakken."

"How is he?"

"He's going to lose his left leg. It looks like he didn't want to cooperate with Gemini's plans, he was tortured. They'll probably amputate this afternoon."

Ron felt sympathy for the Doctor. Kim was too focused on the drama surrounding Shego to experience any other grief Betty Director waited with them, asking the medics for Shego's vitals and seeming to understand the significance of their answers about pulse and respiration rates better than Ron or Kim.

Some two hours after Shego had been shot the medics had her stabilized enough to try and move her to a real medical facility. As they loaded her onto a gurney Shego's eyes fluttered open.

"K-kim?" she whispered softly.

"I'm here," Kim knelt by the woman she loved.

"Did they find the Doc? How is he?"

Kim bit her lips, she didn't want to tell Shego the truth, but had to say something.

"What's wrong?"

"He... He was tortured. He's going to lose a leg."

"Don't let them amputate, Kim. Promise me! Don't let them cut -" Exhausted, Shego slipped back into the darkness.

_"Why had Shego focused on Doctor Drakken and his condition? What was the link between these two? And why did Shego think Kim should stop the amputation? Shego wasn't a doctor. She had no idea what condition Drakken was in. The medics surely would do their best if there was any chance of recovery..."_

* * *

"Oh, my God! Dr. Director, you can't let them amputate Drakken's leg."

"What are you talking about Kim?"

"Drakken is the Wile E Coyote of all the villains we've faced. I've seen him take electrical shocks, explosions, and falls that would kill a normal man. When Shego is mad I've seen her hit Drakken with plasma bursts that looked lethal. He heals. The doctors need to put the bone fragments together - they can use pins, plates or superglue. Drakken will heal."

"That sounds crazy."

"They have to try. They can't leave him a cripple if he could heal."

"I'll call the hospital. But if he contracts gangrene..."

"He won't, and they have to try."

Dr. Director left to make the phone call from her office.

"I don't know, Kim. Drakken has always seemed like a big chicken - he always hides and lets Shego do the fighting."

"I didn't say he was invulnerable to pain. I just said he heals. He's got some sort of power... And he's got blue skin... I wonder if he's another child of the comet?"


	2. Chapter 2 ICU

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners.

**ICU**

"You've died twice."

"How odd, I can't remember. You're here. Am I in heaven?"

"No. You're in Iowa... Did you see that movie? Mostly you're on a lot of medication."

"When did I die?"

"In the ambulance on the way over, the day you were shot. Four days later, as your blood pressure started to get back to normal a vein they thought was fine ruptured... If they hadn't gotten the blood-" Kim shut her mouth.

"What do you mean, if they hadn't gotten the blood?"

"I just mean, they were able to give you a transfusion. It saved you."

"A transfusion? Come on, Kim. I know enough of my body chemistry to know that isn't likely... unless... No, Kim, please tell me you didn't."

"Would you rather be dead?"

"It might be easier than owing my life to him."

"Them, Bill and Ed have the same type also. Matt is different type, but he left them a pint for the lab to work with - to try and figure out how to deal with your body chemistry. Henry is taking erythropoietin to increase red cell production. He's already given more than they usually take in a week so they have two units stockpiled if you need more. He'd have given more if they would have let him and you needed it . You've got erythropoietin in one of those bags on your IV tree. They won't let you race in the Tour de France if you're on that stuff."

"It's going to be hard living with him saving my life."

"Well, you wouldn't be living if he hadn't.  
"Your brothers were here with an middle-aged couple. She looks a lot like an older version of you. Did your father give you any genes?"

"Were they together? Did they look happy?"

"They looked scared. They were with your brothers, what do you mean 'Were they together?'?"

"Family history."

"I know that doctors still don't agree on exactly when death happens, but do you remember anything about the last week?"

"Well, if I died, I would have to say it's over-rated. I didn't see any big light and Jesus wasn't waiting for me... Maybe I should be glad I didn't see the devil waiting for me."

The ICU nurse opened the door, "Miss Possible, your five minutes is nearly over."

"Kim, tell me you aren't skipping classes to be here."

"Well..."

"Your education is important. Finish the semester or I'll get out of bed to kick your butt."

"I don't think you're in shape to do that."

"Yeah, but just getting out of bed might kill me - you want to live with the guilt?"

"I'll be good," Kim promised and gently kissed Shego on the forehead. She made it out of the ICU before starting to cry.

* * *

Kim tried hard to throw herself into school, just to take her mind off Shego, but was never very successful. She would catch her eyes drifting over the same page several times without comprehension. Fortunately she'd done well the first part of the semester because she didn't think she'd be finishing well.

She slept most nights at home, sometimes only at the dorm Monday and Wednesday nights for the eight o'clock class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One particularly bad night Kim's crying woke Bonnie up. It was against Bonnie's better judgment, but she crawled into the top bunk, "Roll over Possible, let me hold you." Kim finally drifted off. _"God, the things I have to do to get a good night's sleep."_

At least she was able to get up at five in the morning without waking Kim. With any luck, Kim wouldn't even remember the little act of kindness when Bonnie woke her up at seven.

* * *

"Kim, before you go in to see Shego I would like to clear up a few points with you."

"That's fine."

"First, are you going to intern with Global Justice again? You know that under normal circumstances you would be welcome. I'm not going to pretend these are normal circumstances. Ron Stoppable has already indicated he would not be with us this summer."

"I'm not sure what I want, Dr. Director. I want to work with Global Justice. I believe in what you're doing. I'm just not sure about this summer, what is happening to me... to me and Shego right now."

"You know, she will be going into a specially constructed cell as soon as she is healthy enough. She won't be getting out of prison anytime soon."

"I... I know. I don't know if that makes me want to work at Global Justice this summer, so I can see her... Or, if it would hurt too much to see her behind bars. There's nothing you can do for her? She almost died trying to help Global Justice."

"She almost died trying to rescue Drakken and saving you. She wasn't doing it for Global Justice. I'll go to court and give a character reference, but that's all I can do. I'm not the courts."

Kim nodded glumly, "I know."

"Second, I'd like to know what is going on with the list of visitors Shego approved to see her in the ICU. There's no family listed-"

"It's a long story. She hasn't told me all of it. I think they're good people. I wish... Never mind."

"Well, you and your mother are on the list, with a couple of your friends... Who is Bonnie Rockwaller?"

"My dorm mate. We don't always get along, but Shego likes her."

"Well, the mystery to me is that she indicated she wanted visits from the clergy. And under religious preference she indicated Jewish. Do you understand that?"

"You'll have to ask her that yourself. She's thinking about things. I think she wants to change her life."

Betty Director's voice sounded grim, "I hope she gets the chance."

"What do you mean?"

"Rumor is that someone at the Agency is royally pissed with Shego. They've taken the opportunity of her being stuck in the hospital to hire an assassin, one of the best, to keep her from talking about something."

"An assassin? Why?"

"We don't know why, and I am terribly curious. Are they trying to silence her? What does she know? The story is that they've hired Bert for the job."

"Bert?"

"Yes, as in Bert and Ernie. We have no idea what Bert looks like, it is part of what makes him - or her - so effective. Bert probably looks like a mailman, or the cashier at the supermarket, someone your eyes slide right over without paying any attention."

"Then how does he, or she, get a contract?"

"Oh, that would be Ernie, he's been photographed." Dr. Director took an eight by ten from a manila folder and showed it to Kim. "He talks with the Agency, or some Mafia Don, and within weeks someone dies. We can't even tell if some of them are murder. Accidents and 'natural causes' just seem to happen, and Ernie is back to collect a fee. He reports one-third of the money on his tax form, and no one else knows who his partner is or where the other money goes."

"So he, or she, could be anyone? Young or old, man or woman, black or white?"

"That is the common thought. I'm one of the few who wonder if Ernie is a piece of misdirection."

"Huh?"

"Maybe there is no invisible assassin. Maybe Bert and Ernie are the same person, with the secrecy of Bert and the openness of Ernie a little sleight of hand. In any case, we've doubled the guards outside Shego's room." Kim studied the photo carefully before handing it back.

* * *

Kim felt a little nervous entering the hospital room. "I hear you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," the man with the pale blue skin answered. "They tell me you saved my leg."

"I don't take any credit for that. It was Shego who said they shouldn't amputate. How is your leg?"

They both stared down at the enormous cast that enveloped his left leg. "Some of the bone had been pulped. Some of the pieces simply didn't exist anymore. They say my left leg will be a shorter than my right. The physicians are amazed that some knitting is already taking place, they predict I'll never run again, but with a built up shoe and cane I'll get around."

"You sound like you don't believe them."

"I think they're being too pessimistic."

"Could you tell me how your leg can possibly heal after what you went through?"

"Hasn't Shego told you anything?"

"No, she hasn't."

Drakken gave her a wolfish grin, "They're awfully good about keeping their secrets. How long have you and Shego...?"

"How long have we what?"

"Been seeing each other."

"It was more than a year ago that we started having coffee together. If you mean when did we start doing more than that I'm not sure. It just seemed to happen over the summer."

"How is she?"

"She's not doing well. She took a bullet meant for me. They have a special cell waiting for her."

"She's gotten out of them before."

"I hope you're right, but as weak as she is..."

Neither Drakken nor Kim wanted to continue that line of conversation. "Since last summer, you say?"

Kim nodded.

"You're both good at keeping secrets. Perhaps you deserve each other... She's a good woman... But she's got a nasty temper." Drakken grinned again. "Perhaps you do deserve each other." He looked like he wanted to say more, then abruptly added, "You should go now."

Obviously Drakken could be every bit as infuriating as Shego.

* * *

Regular classes were over, and final exams began in a week. Kim hauled her class notes and texts to the hospital for the review period. Shego had gained enough strength that Global Justice and the hospital bent the rules to let Kim sit and study in the ICU. Shego slept most of the time, but clearly took comfort from Kim being there when she was awake. Being in the room with Shego helped Kim to concentrate. She wouldn't pull the straight A's she originally wanted - but hoped to keep her average up in the high B range.

The nurses at the ICU station couldn't quite place the nondescript little man pushing the cart, but orderlies come and go and he wore a hospital ID. "I was just up in the pediatrics family waiting room. I have a lot of juice, soda, and water left. Want something to drink?"

The three nurses were grateful for something cold. So were the two Global Justice agents in the hall outside Shego's room. Coke and Pepsi do not manufacture sodas containing powerful sedatives. But for a price you have cans doctored in such a way that the tampering defies casual notice. The orderly chatted with the two agents for a few minutes, until they both announced they were feeling terribly tired and slid down onto the floor.

Inside the room a red-haired young woman dozed in a chair and the target was asleep in her bed. He saw no reason to wake the young woman up to try and give her a sedative. Even if the target had been awake he wouldn't have needed to alter his plans. And would either have recognized him as an orderly and questioned why he was doing a nurse's job? The IV bag he pulled from his cart seemed outwardly identical to one of the bags on Shego's IV tree.

It appeared the red-head had been awakened by the sound of the cart. But he didn't need her asleep, he could pull this off with a witness. Kim was a little drowsy as she watched the man in scrubs apply a side clamp to the IV tube above the drip chamber and remove an IV bag. Kim's eyes narrowed - the bag he took down looked like it wouldn't require replacing for another couple hours. The man hung a new bag, connected it to the spike and removed the side clamp. He smiled behind his mask, time to leave - another successful hit. In a few minutes Shego's heart would go into arrhythmia. The ICU nurses were in no condition to answer the heart monitor. Even if some other medical personnel noticed the alarm and came in they would not be able to isolate the source of the problem before a fatal level of the drug had entered Shego's veins. With luck he'd be out of the hospital before anything was noticed.

He was still congratulating himself when the red-head's foot caught him in the gut and knocked him back against the wall. She recognized the ears from the photo Betty Director had shown her - the head of Global Justice was right, Bert and Ernie were the same man.

Kim was frantic, she called for help but neither Global Justice agent responded from the hallway. Kim had no idea what was in the IV bag, but didn't want any of it going into Shego. She considered trying to pull the catheter from the cannula, but in mystery novels the embolisms that might create are always fatal. She had no way of knowing what the danger was in real life. Kim quickly grabbed some of the slack in the plastic tube, gave it a couple fast turns and squeezed it hard against the IV tree with her right hand to create kinks in the tubing - to stop the flow from the IV bag. The tubing was tough, designed to withstand accidentally being run over with hospital carts. It took all Kim's strength to stop the flow of liquid.

Bert got up from the floor, and pulled a long knife from a calf sheath. In a more analytical moment Kim might have wondered about what sort of non-metallic materials were used in the blade, so that it could pass through the hospital's metal detectors. At the moment she was more interested in keeping herself between the assassin and Shego. She need not have worried about getting between Bert and Shego. Her actions identified her as a witness he couldn't afford to leave behind, and the fact she also stood between him and the door made Kim the target. Once she released her grip on the IV tube Shego would die.

In a fair fight Bert would have stood no chance against Kim. His prowess as an assassin rested on his planning skills rather than fighting ability. But Kim had a lot of disadvantages in this contest. Her mind was on keeping Shego safe. Her right hand had a death grip on the IV tree to stop the flow from Bert's bag. She used her left hand to steady the tree, to keep it from crashing over and pulling the various tubes from Shego. Considering she needed one leg to stand on Kim effectively had one leg with which to fight the short man armed with a long knife. Things got worse for Kim when the first drops of the drug - the ones which dripped down before Kim kinked the tubing - went into Shego, starting a small heart arrhythmia that set off Shego's heart monitor. The alarm buzzer sounded like it was screaming in her ears. At least, she hoped, it would bring the medical staff running.

Bert knew that hospital staff would wait several minutes for the unconscious ICU nurses to deal with the problem before investigating the alarm. He saw a young woman in front of him, holding onto an IV tree in desperation. He had a knife. While he regretted a messy kill he imagined this would be over quickly, letting him escape, with two bodies left behind.

His first two lunges showed him that it would not be as easy as he had imagined. Twice she kicked his knife aside, once catching his arm so hard he worried about it breaking. Okay, this was going to be harder than he first thought. He went to wide slashing motions, hoping his speed would keep Kim from connecting. Within minutes both legs of Kim's cargo pants were slashed and a trickle of blood flowed down her left leg from a shallow gash, hardly deeper than a scratch but still painful. He realized he was getting nowhere fast.

The alarm from the heart monitor continued to wail. It told them both someone had to be coming. For Kim the thought was comforting. The thought caused Bert to panic. He dropped the knife, the collagen solution on his hands should keep him from leaving any clear fingerprints, and grabbed a guest chair. A light chair, swung well, makes a very effective, if not necessarily lethal, weapon. This was a heavy chair. He planned simply to use it as a shield and ram her hard, then recover the knife and finish the job. He underestimated Kim's strength and didn't realize how much he lost in his own field of vision. He hit the wall, hard, with the chair hitting him in the head. He dropped, and was still on the floor when the hospital workers and security arrived.


	3. Chapter 3 Critical Condition

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Critical Condition**

Shego remained in the Intensive Care Unit. The Global Justice agents on duty were no longer allowed to eat or drink anything while on duty, and whenever anyone, visitor or hospital personal, was in with Shego an agent was in the room. They made sure one agent was always a woman for the times when hospital personal had to attend to Shego's physical needs.

At least when Kim was there the Global Justice agent moved to a corner of the room far enough away for the two women to have some privacy.

"Third time, Shego. You've died three times now."

"Hey, but you saved my life this time."

"You wouldn't even be here if you hadn't been trying to save me."

"I'm just glad you kept any more of that stuff from going in me. At least I didn't need another transfusion."

"Someday you have to tell me what really is going on with your family."

"Didn't I tell you enough?"

"You only gave me a little part of the story. There has to be more."

"You can wait for the book. Maybe I can write my life story while I'm in prison."

"It's not funny Shego. But I have something serious to say. I want your baby."

Shego laughed, "That's serious? Sorry, Pumpkin, but I seem to have the wrong equipment for that."

"No, that's not what I mean. I've nearly lost you three times to death in the couple months -more if we go back to Tibet. When you get strong enough they are going to lock you up in the Cage and it will be years before you are out. I want a part of you with me, a part they can't take away. If you donate an egg we can have it fertilized. I'll carry the baby."

"You haven't thought enough about this."

"I've thought plenty about it."

"You're only eighteen -"

"Nineteen, you missed my birthday while you were in the hospital."

"Kim, you're too young. You don't need to mess the rest of your life up with a baby, a kid is forever."

"Can I make my own choice?"

"Not when it's a bad choice."

"Look you saved my life-"

"Oh, now that's a strong argument. I saved Ron's also - he's not asking to carry my kid. You've saved my life too, can we just cancel our debts to each other and call it even? Gratitude is a bad reason to get pregnant."

"How about the fact I love you?"

"Much better reason, but I'm not sure it's good enough. Mr. Bennet told Elizabeth that a little heartbreak was good for girl. That you'll be all the better prepared for the next time you fall in love."

"Another Pride and Prejudice reference?"

"Hey, when your middle name is Georgiana you have to read the book. But seriously, when you meet the real love of your life someday, do you really want a kid messing that up?"

"What if I already have met the love of my life? Wouldn't that be worth keeping?"

Shego smiled. "Okay Kim, tell me your idea and I promise to listen carefully before I tell you why it won't work."

"It's pretty simple. You donate an egg cell, we get it fertilized, they put it in me. Nine months later - we have a baby."

"Oh, you really haven't thought that through. Who takes care of the baby while you're in school. Health care, education, food and clothing... Even before the kid is born though, let's go back to the first part of your plan. I donate an egg cell - let's leave one issue out of that discussion for now. How do you get it fertilized?"

"They put some sperm in a petri dish-"

"Whose sperm?"

"I don't know... Could they use someone like Ron's?"

"Ron's sperm and my egg? Not even in a petri dish Kim. I mean, if I was to suggest, oh Monkey Fist - and I'm not - it would seem pretty creepy to you. Knowing you had his kid in you."

"Yeah, I guess so. An anonymous donor?"

"Read about the case in Michigan a few months ago? An apparently healthy sperm donor left behind a dozen kids with a bad genetic illness. I'm sorry Kim, maybe I'm selfish or jealous, but you carrying some man's baby - even though the kid was part me - is a little hard for me to take. And I really don't think you've thought enough about this and what it means.

* * *

Shego had probably been right on one point, Kim had not done enough thinking and research. What was she really asking Shego to do? What was she volunteering to do? So, like all college students, Kim started her computer and went to articles into her research Kim's jaw dropped. "Oh, My, God!" She had followed a link to a story about a mouse born in Japan a few years earlier. A mouse with two mothers and no father. Kim returned to Google and entered three words Kaguya, mouse, and Kono. She got more than three thousand hits.

Kim started printing pages. She wanted to show this to Shego.

Then Kim went back to more general articles on IVF, In Vitro Fertilization. It was frightening, but it was also possible.

* * *

"This is all very interesting, Princess, but it doesn't change my mind."

"But the baby would be ours, yours and mine. It would be a part of each of us."

"And if we had a child she would be beautiful ."

"And now the 'buts'?"

"Yes. I still don't think you're old enough to make the decision. - Don't say anything I'm giving my opinion. - Second, your articles point out that while they are thinking about this for human reproduction no ethical doctor is going to touch it right now. There are still too many unknowns and variables before they are ready. And third, I've been on starvation birth control since Tibet."

"Starvation birth control?"

"Mother Nature's way of telling the human race they shouldn't reproduce. Lose enough weight and you stop ovulating. I'll soon be back to where I can expect one mother of a PMS headache. But even if I agreed with your crazy plan there would be no doctor who would help us, and I'm currently incapable of donating eggs."

"But, if we could?"

"Oh, if you're playing that game how many wishes do I get? I think I want being a free woman and healthy for my first two. No, just make that a free woman - I seem to be getting healthy without wasting a wish on that."

"Would us having a baby make the top three wishes?"

Shego took Kim's hand, "In a few years, if that is really what you wanted, and doctors are doing it, it would sound wonderful. I might even volunteer for the hard part."


	4. Chapter 4 Serious Condition

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Serious Condition**

"Hey, Kim, what's up?"

"I need some help Wade. I need you to find someone for me. And Wade, I think I also need to apologize to you. I've really been ignoring you... I've been ignoring everyone the last couple months. I'm sorry."

"That's okay, Kim. We all know you've been preoccupied with Shego in the hospital. Who do you want me to try and find?"

Kim hoped Wade didn't ask why she wanted the information. She was prepared to lie.

* * *

Kim drove up to the house at the address Wade had given her. A small white cottage with green trim, surrounded by flower beds. It certainly didn't look like the home of a super villain. Kim could hear the chimes in the house after she pushed the buzzer. Then there was movement in the house. The front door opened a crack, the security chain in place. A startled eye saw Kim and the door began to close.

Kim kicked the door, hard, ripping the security chain from the frame and knocking down the heavy-set woman behind the door.

"What do you want Kimberly?" she growled.

"This is just a little social call. Aren't you going to ask me in for tea?"

"Social call? That door frame will come out of my security deposit!"

"Oh, I'll pay you back for the door frame." Kim offered her hand to help the woman up, "Please, Amy, I just want a cup of tea and a little chat."

* * *

The dumpy woman poured them each a cup of tea, but kept the Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies for herself.

"So, are you going to tell me some lie about wanting to talk Cuddle Buddies™, or going to cut to the truth?"

Kim stared at DNAmy. If fighting skills were called for there were few people in the world Kim couldn't defeat - but her fighting skills weren't going to help her in this situation.

"Oh, you're going to let me guess why you're here. There are rumors on that you are sleeping with Drakken's bitch. Is that true? I never liked her, a nasty and sarcastic little tramp. I was quite pleased to hear she'd been shot."

"SHE'S NOT DRAKKEN'S BITCH! HER NAME IS SHEGO!"

"Oh, I seem to have struck close to home. My first guess, too. I deserve a reward." Amy took another cookie.

Kim realized she was off to a poor start. "Yes, Shego and I are lovers."

"And does that have anything to do with why you are here?"

"Yes, it does."

"Oh, how wonderful. Tell me about it. I always thought I'd like to combine Shego with a Burmese python. I thought it would be a natural. You... You I would combine with a tiger. You and Shego are both predators, but nothing alike. I can't imagine the two of you together."

Amy appeared to know that her chatter would simply irritate Kim.

"Amy, I was wondering if you'd heard about a mouse name Kaguya?"

"Know of Kaguya?" Amy laughed. "I was on the team. Tomohiro brought me over especially to work on the project. You've just read news accounts, haven't you. My name appears on the scientific report. I'm very proud of my work on the project. Oh, my, is this what you have in mind? Is that why you came looking for me?"

Kim attempted to preserve some mystery. "So, tell me Amy. Do the fact you are a wanted woman mean you have to charge less for your work, or can you demand a premium because you are willing to take on projects no other geneticist will touch?"

"I demand a premium, Kimberly. If you thought you could pay me for what you have in mind I have to disappoint you. You can't have enough money to pay me for my consulting fees - and for my services it requires much more."

"That's okay. You probably couldn't do it anyway, not without Tomohiro Kono's lab and equipment."

"Oh, how darling. Now you're trying to appeal to my vanity. Pretend you think I can't do it so I'll do what you want just to prove you wrong. I already know what I'm capable of and have no need of proving it to you. What do you have left - you could threaten me... or are you going to offer yourself to me? Sorry, Kimberly, neither will work. You don't hurt people, and I'm perfectly straight and have no interest in you at all."

Kim shuddered, she had certainly never considered making that sort of an offer. "I guess I was just hoping the challenge... You know, something to add to your reputation..."

"Kimberly, I worked on the team when Dr. Kono proved it possible for two females to produce a baby. There are a couple interesting elements to your idea, but it doesn't interest me as a challenge. Reputation? You think I need to add to my reputation? The fact you are here begging me for my help tells me what kind of a reputation I have. You come to a woman who hates you because you know I am the only person in the world who might be able to give you what you want. Reputation..." DNAmy fell silent. "Reputation," she repeated softly. "Have a cookie, Kimberly, let me think about this for a minute."

Amy slid the Milano cookies over to Kim, tilted her head back and closed her eyes. As Kim ate a cookie she watched Amy's lips move, as if the stocky woman was carrying on a debate with herself.

Amy opened her eyes and looked at Kim. "Your proposal may interest me. Let's talk for a few minutes about what it really means, and whether you really want to go through with this." Amy gave Kim a lop-sided grin. Kim took it as a good sign. She couldn't read the face of the homely woman well enough to know it was a smile of pure evil.

* * *

"First, how are you going to get egg cells from Shego? I can't imagine the hospital is cooperating with this."

"Ah, well that is going to be a problem. We can't get egg cells from Shego."

"Then why are you wasting my time?"

"I read about haploidisation - can't geneticists split diploid cells into a haploid cells?"

"Haploidisation is just a word to you, isn't it Kimberly? A haploid cell isn't necessarily a gamete - those are only the egg and sperm. Tomohiro figured out how to activate gene receptors on the two eggs for them to be accepted by the other with a similar effect to sperm. You can't even furnish an egg to work with? This is too much work - forget it."

"So you can't use blood cells or any other body cells?"

"I might, but I don't think I want the bother... Wait, does Shego even know what you are planning?"

"No, she doesn't."

"Oh, Kimberly, how delightfully evil of you. You want to make her a father without her knowledge or permission. You're raping her-"

"I'M NOT!"

"Oh, yes you are. And that alone makes this interesting enough to be talk about a little longer. You will be able to get a small blood sample at the hospital?"

"They are taking them all the time."

"Oh, wonderful, and you will be stealing it too. This only gets better, Kimberly. I will enjoy this ever so much. Let me see, where to start...  
"Let's pretend for a minute I really am going to help you. First, you would need to leave me a blood sample. I would want to work on producing an artificial gamete - you are lucky I worked with Tomohiro, only someone on the team would have a chance of doing that. I'll use my biggest needle, it will leave a bruise."

"Is a big needle necessary?"

"No, but I'm not charging you. I'll get my pleasure where I can.  
"Second, you would need to monitor your cycle. I'll need to know when to give you the clomiphene citrate - it's a hormone treatment so you'll produce multiple eggs."

"Actually, I've done a little reading on the harvesting process. Here is the information on my cycle." Kim handed a sheet of paper to Amy, who studied it.

"A narrow window here Kimberly. You would need the clomiphene citrate in three days - or wait a month. And the total procedure will take days. I'd rather not wait around here two more months after you've demonstrated I can be found. You and I both need to decide, and now, whether we're talking hypothetically or for real. If you want this, I'll start to experiment with the haploidisation today. If that can't be done there is no point in proceeding further. If it can be done, you are going to experience a lot of pain."

"A lot of pain?"

"Oh, yes, that will be my favorite part. Egg harvesting is usually done under general anesthesia. But, of course, if you let me put you under you are liable to wake up genetically bonded with an Irish Setter - you'd make a very pretty bitch. No, Kim, you'll have to make do with a local - you'll need your mind clear in case I try something. Hearing you scream in pain will be lovely. Oh, try and have Shego's blood sample here before the egg harvesting. You may need a couple days to recuperate afterwards. Still want to move forward?"

Kim shook her head yes, "Then what?

"Oh, you can relax for a few days. Then I have my hard work - getting your egg cells to accept the gametes I develop from Shego's blood cells. There are no guarantees there, but I'll do my best to make sure you have some healthy little zygotes. If they mature to the blastula stage you are back here for implantation. There are still no guarantees. Most fertilized eggs don't implant - even in healthy women. The success rate for in vitro fertilization isn't even twenty per cent - but a lot of that might stem from the fact that women who need IVF often have problems with conception, which is why they turn to IVF."

"Does implantation hurt?"

"No, but it's rather uncomfortable. I'll try to be gentle. You don't need any stress. Spend a few days in bed."

"And then?"

"And then the most anxious two weeks of your life as you wait to find out whether there is success or not. If implantation takes place it should be a normal pregnancy - remembering, of course, that miscarriage is always possible in any pregnancy. Is this really what you want? Are you ready for this?"

"Yes, its what I want. A baby that will be really mine and Shego's. I'm ready."

_"You little fool. There is no way you can be ready for what is going to happen to you."_

* * *

Amy had instructed Kim to call in two days.

"Amy? How does it look?"

"All indications are that I can create a functioning gamete. You need to stop by tomorrow for the hormone treatment. Then, like I said, you will need to get me one of Shego's blood samples before the harvesting next week."

* * *

Kim watched as the nurse drew a small blood sample from Shego.

"So, what are the doctors saying about me?"

"Everyone is surprised at how well you are doing. You'll probably be upgraded from serious to fair condition sometime late next week and moved out of Intensive Care - a couple of the physicians aren't even sure you need to be here now."

"Hear that Kim? And from fair condition I'll probably be upgraded to prisoner. I hope Global Justice has better food."

As the nurse pushed the cart from the room Kim gave Shego a kiss. "I'm sorry, but I have to run. I... I have some business. I'm not sure how long its going to take me. You may not see me for a couple weeks."

Shego looked disappointed.

"I'm really sorry. And I really have to run."

Kim did need to run - run and jostle the cart as it went down the hallway. Kim apologized to the nurse, as she pocketed Shego's blood sample. Cell harvesting was scheduled for the next morning. If it was anywhere as painful as DNAmy had promised it would be Kim didn't think she'd be going anywhere for a couple days.

Kim desperately wished she had more time to think about this. But time was one of the things she did not have with Shego. Was Shego right? Was it a crazy plan that would only mess up the rest of her life? If Kim and Shego had a future, if they had years together they could think and plan about what they wanted to do. Kim wouldn't have this frantic need for a baby if she knew she and Shego had a future. But Shego would be heading to prison, a prison specifically designed to withstand even her skills. She might never come out.

Could Kim find another great love in her life someday? Was Shego right about that - a little heart-break was good for a young person and someone better would come along? Kim thought about the times Shego had saved her life in the last few months. Shego was right. Gratitude is not a good reason to bear a baby. But love is. Kim felt gratitude to Shego for saving her life - but she also felt love. What was that saying about 'no greater love than laying down your life for a friend?' That was the love Shego had demonstrated. Kim would never find anyone else willing to die for her that way. She knew Shego loved her. And Kim could not imagine ever finding anyone she could feel as strongly for.

Kim knew it was an insane plan. But she could think of no other idea to always have the woman she loved with her in a tangible way. This would be their child. She wished she could talk with her mother, Monique, or anyone who could give her rational advice. She knew what all of them would say. But none of them knew the depth of her feelings. As frightening as the whole prospect was, Kim had to make the decision unilaterally.

* * *

"Here is Shego's blood sample."

"Very good, Kimberly. Drink plenty of fluids before the harvesting tomorrow."

"In the reading I've done... Are you going to use the laparoscopic method?"

"No, that would give you more pain, but the ultrasound probe and needle are faster and more effective. Hopefully it will be over in about twenty to twenty-five minutes."

* * *

Kim looked around DNAmy's sterile room. It looked like she was equipped for anything. "Uh, Amy, I'm sorry I always think of you as just a villain. I forget how educated you are. This is a real medical procedure and you are probably the only person in the world who can do it. Thank you."

"Don't thank me, Kim. Don't thank me. Reputation is the only thing I'm thinking about. Oh, and the pain you're about to experience. That local will dull some of it. But you need to throw your head back and scream when the pain hits - it will be good practice for nine months from now."

Kim clenched her teeth. She wouldn't give Amy the satisfaction of showing pain. Her composure lasted for about five minutes - then she screamed until her throat was raw and blacked out.

Kim recovered in minutes. She was sweaty and felt miserable, but this should be the worst of it. "How did it go?" she managed to croak.

"Just wonderfully!" Amy seemed amazingly upbeat. "Three eggs. They're in nutritive culture material in that incubator. I think this is going to work."

Amy brought Kim some Milano cookies and some orange juice. "Just relax for an hour or so. It's usually an outpatient procedure, you just had it worse than most women. You're strong, you should be able to drive yourself home."

"When will I know something?"

"Call me in two days. By then I'll know whether you have zygotes or failure."

* * *

Kim crawled into bed when she got home and stayed there for the rest of the day. Amy had assured her that this was the worst physical pain of the entire process. Kim wondered if she should be suspicious of the way Amy had said, 'worst physical pain.'

* * *

"Kim, you don't look well. You shouldn't go to visit Shego."

"But, Mom -"

"No buts, with all the problems she's had the last two months she doesn't need you giving her a cold or the flu."

* * *

DNAmy answered the phone on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Amy, this is Kim. What is the news on fertilization?"

"Two of the eggs accepted the gametes I produced from Shego's blood. The third failed."

"So I have two chances?"

"Two chances are not good odds. I already told you, most IVFs end in failure. Doctors used to implant seven or eight blastula in order to have a chance at getting one baby. That stopped a while after a woman in Iowa had seven kids. I will probably divide the two at the morula stage - old Biology 101 trick. That will give you two sets of monozygotic embryos.

"Can you explain that a little, I'm not sure I'm catching some of it."

"I'll be putting two sets of identical twins in you. If two blastopores implant you might have monozygotic - identical - twins, two from the same divided morula. Or you might have dizygotic - fraternal - twins, one from each. It seems a little odd to speak of fraternal twins. With two mothers only daughters are possible. - Unless you think Shego has a y-chromosome in her. It wouldn't surprise me."

"But I could have four babies?"

"Not much chance of that."

"But the woman with seven?"

"Yes, and another had eight before doctors changed their procedures. But the chances you won't have any baby are several thousand times greater than you having four. Remember, Kimberly, there are no guarantees. I'm giving you solid advice - call your gynecologist and check on this if you don't believe me."

"I don't have a obgyn yet."

"Well, you need to start thinking about that. If everything goes well you'll be wanting to talk with her in less than three weeks."

* * *

A strange voice answered the hospital phone, "Hello?"

"Can I speak with Shego, please?"

"Sharon? Certainly, here she is."

"Was that a nurse?" Kim asked.

"No, Rabbi Kominski. I like her. Why haven't you been coming in?"

"I want to. There are just some weird things happening right now."

"More important than me?" Kim could feel the hurt over the phone.

"Nothing is more important to me than you. Nothing. Remember that. I'm thinking of you constantly."

"You aren't thinking of anything stupid, are you? You're not going to try and break me out?"

"No, of course not. I don't want to interrupt you and the Rabbi. When can I call you back?"

* * *

Kim was sweaty and shaking as she rang the door bell. No death trap she had ever faced filled her with fear like this moment - and she was doing it voluntarily. It was a decision that she couldn't back out of. Her composure wasn't helped when a huge, hulking creature with long arms answered the door.

"Taurkey, let Kimberly in." The creature backed away and let Kim enter.

"What is that."

"Oh, a little thing I threw together this morning. Combination bull and spider monkey. It should be helpful with packing."

"Packing? The U-Haul truck in the driveway?"

"I told you. If you could find me the police or Global Justice can find me. I'll be gone tomorrow. Taurkey seems like very useful Portmanteau for the move. I hope he's stable enough to last through setting up my equipment at my next place so I can break him down."

"Stable enough?"

"Oh, my Portmanteaus don't last forever. If the two creatures are fairly close genetically the bond may last for weeks. If they are too diverse the compound creature will die in hours. Birds and fish just don't work together - it can never decide where it wants to live. I can break my Portmanteaus back into the original creatures if I have my equipment."

"Like Mr. Barkin and Rufus."

"Oh, yes, exactly like that. Now, head into the sterile room we used for harvesting. You'll need to undress. I'm washing up and putting on scrubs and will be with you in a minute."

* * *

Kim looked around the small room with the incubator and instruments laid out neatly. Her last chance to back out... She took a deep breath, and started to undress.

* * *

"Sorry about the position, but I don't have a tilted table. I'm not really set up for this procedure. You need to stay in that position for awhile, let gravity work with you in keeping the blastospheres in your uterus. I'll take you home in a few hours - I don't want you trying to drive yourself. Now I'm going out to start directing Taurkey to load the truck." At least DNAmy had the decency to cover Kim with a blanket before she went out. Kim suspected this was what DNAmy meant about the worst of the physical pain being over, implantation had only been somewhat uncomfortable, but the position was humiliating.

* * *

Kim gritted her teeth as Amy ground Herbie's gears. She may be a great geneticist but she couldn't drive a stick shift. Kim was curled up in the back seat while Amy fought the manual transmission. They got home rather later than Kim had wanted, but still before either of the Drs. Possible was home from work.

Amy called a taxi from her cell phone as Kim crawled out of the back. Before Kim headed to her room to lie down, "Thank you, Amy."

"I told you Kimberly. Don't thank me. I'm not doing this for you. I'm thinking strictly about reputation."

"It still means a lot to me."

Amy gave her that odd, lop-sided grin that Kim never knew how to interpret.

* * *

Kim had elevated the foot of her bed before leaving that morning. She wanted to keep gravity on her side as much as possible, and reduce the risk on an ectopic pregnancy.

* * *

Kim didn't need to stay in her room, not after the first day or so. But she wanted to do anything to increase the chance of success. She told her parents she felt sick. She did feel sick. It was probably nerves. She wondered if it could be the feeling of implantation, her body telling her that she would become a mother. But she told herself that was probably psychosomatic. She had no way of knowing what being pregnant could feel like.

For several days Kim could only talk briefly with Shego, The rules in the Intensive Care Unit didn't allow long calls.

When Shego was upgraded to fair condition and moved to a private room longer calls became possible.

"Why haven't you come back to the hospital?"

"I told you, I'm not feeling well."

"This is a long time to be sick. Have you been to see a doctor?"

"I'm... I'm hoping to see a doctor next week."

"What is going on, Kim? Something is happening. Why can't you tell me? I'm going to be put into the Cage in a couple weeks. I... I already know we may never make love again. Damn it, I need to see you Kim, I love you. Why aren't you here with me?"

"I'm sorry Shego, I really am. But something might be happening. I can't tell you unless I know for certain."

"You're really not planning to break me out or something stupid like that."

"Would breaking you out be so bad?"

"Kim, you don't want life on the run. I don't want life on the run any more. And Kim, I'm too weak for it right now. Even if you got me out I can't live like that."

"Maybe they'd put us in jail together."

"No, you don't even say such a thing. I'll tell them I put a mind control chip on you. Promise me, Kim, you aren't going to try and break me out."

Breathing a little sigh of relief, "I can promise you that, Shego. I'm not planning to break you out of the Cage."

* * *

Five different little home pregnancy tests lined up in the bathroom. Each of the five little tests promised to be convenient, easy, reliable, and confidential. It sure wasn't confidential when she went through the line in the drug store and the clerk stared at her. And she didn't think any of them counted as easy or convenient - working with her own urine was messy and unpleasant. Reliable? Five different little home pregnancy tests lined up in the bathroom. Each of them showing positive.

* * *

"Dr. Schultz? I'm Kimberly Ann Possible."

"Oh, yes. We met at your parents' New Year's Party. I love your mother."

"My visit is strictly doctor - patient confidential, right? You don't even tell my mom I was here?"

Dr. Schultz gave Kim a penetrating glance. "That question usually means one thing."

"Yes, I think I am."

"Then, Kim, we have a lot to talk about as well as some tests to perform."

* * *

Shego's eyes lit up as Kim breezed into the room. "God it's good to see you."

Kim gave Shego a deep and passionate kiss. Then, noticing that Agent Haskell was on duty she gave Shego another. He violated Global Justice procedures at that point and left the room. Kim celebrated his absence with a third kiss.

"You seem awfully happy today."

"I am. It is wonderful to see you. I just had some good news. I wanted you to be the first to know. Well, the first to know after my doctor."

"What are you talking about? You said you felt sick. What did the doctor tell you that made you so happy?"

"Oh, just that I'm pregnant."

Shego stared at her, "Don't even joke about a thing like that."

"I'm not joking."

Shego lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. Kim noticed tears forming. "I hope the pain medication is giving me nightmares," Shego said softly.

Kim held her hand, "It's not a nightmare."

There was bitterness in Shego's voice, "Who's the father?"

"You are."

Shego opened her eyes and stared at Kim. Whatever pain medication she was on had never given her such vivid hallucinations before. "What are you talking about?"

"You remember when we talked about Kaguya? The idea that two women could have a baby? You said that our having a baby sounded wonderful."

"I said if you were older. I said... Wait a minute. This is impossible. I didn't donate any eggs to this. What in the hell are you telling me?"

"You were right. No ethical doctor would have helped me, helped us. I had Wade locate DNAmy -"

"DNAmy? The woman who hates your guts?"

"She's a great geneticist."

"Who hates your guts and manufactures monsters."

Shego's eyes were opening wider, moving from shock to horror, as Kim told her the process, the egg harvesting, haploidisation, and the transfer procedure.

"You let that mad woman put something inside your body!"

"It's ours Shego. A part of both of us they can't take away from me."

"KIM! HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID! SHE HATES YOU. YOU COULDN'T SEE WHAT SHE PUT INSIDE YOU! SHE MAKES MONSTERS! MY, GOD! KIM, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GROWING INSIDE YOU?"

"No, Shego, you're wrong. Amy just wanted -" And then the horror hit. Shego was right. What was growing inside her?

- The End? -


End file.
